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Defense Minister: No Plans for S-400 Purchase

Defense Minister Lieutenant General Hossein Dehqan dismissed plans for the purchase of Russia's advanced air defense missile system S-400.

"No we do not intend to do so," Dehqan told reporters in Tehran on Saturday, answering a question about the possible purchase of the powerful Russian air-defense system, Tasnim News Agency reported.

The defense chief's comments came against the backdrop of a long process for the delivery of an older version of the Russian-made air defense system, S-300. Iran has been long waiting to receive the system it had purchased in 2007.

Under the 2007 deal, Russia was required to provide Iran with at least five S-300 defense system batteries. But the contract, worth more than $800 million, was revoked after then-president Dmitry Medvedev banned the supply of those systems to Tehran in 2010.

Later, Iran lodged a $4 billion lawsuit at an international court in Geneva against Russia's arms export agency. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin decided in April 2015 to lift the self-imposed ban on the S-300 missile system delivery to Iran.

In April 2016, Iran displayed part of S-300 in a military parade in Tehran, which was held to mark the National Army Day. The gear unveiled in the ceremony included two radar systems of S-300, its carrier and command vehicles as well as the crane for lifting its missiles.

On May 10, Dehqan said the Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Base had been equipped with S-300 missile system.